Tamil Nadu intercaste couple called for feast, hacked to death

TANJAVUR: Five days after getting married, an intercaste couple was hacked to death by the woman’s brother and a relative who wanted to marry her, near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, on Mo nday evening. Police said Saranya (24) was a Dalit, while her husband Mohan (21) was a naicker. Saranya’s brother Sakthivel (31) and his friend Ranjith (28) have been arrested.
Five months ago, Saranya had take n her ailing mother for treatment to the Chennai hospital where she worked as a nurse. There she befriended Mohan, who was the attendant of a patient in the bed next to Saranya’s mother in the hospital.
Saranya’s family had opposed their relationship as they had decided to marry her to Ranjith, one of the accused. Without the knowledge of her family, Saranya and Mohan got married in Chennai five days ago and then informed her kin.
Police said Sakthivel invited Saranya and Mohan for a feast in Thulukkaveli with the intention to kill them. Believing that the family had accepted their union, the coup le arrived at the village on Monday evening. After having dinner, when they stepped out of their house, Sakthivel and Ranjith hacked the newlyweds to death and escaped.
SP Thanjavur G Ravali Pri ya said, “We have secured the two accused. Further inquiries are on. ”